Natives of the Caucasus declared a hunger strike in a Taganrog pretrial detention center.

Ten Muslim prisoners in the Taganrog pretrial detention center refused food and water in protest against the systematic violation of their rights.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in October 2024, human rights activists reported that at least seven prisoners in the Taganrog pretrial detention center, including Magomed Alkhanov and Magomed Khanilaev, are being tortured in connection with security forces' intention to extract confessions in the case of the riot in the Rostov pretrial detention center. At the same time, it was reported that Muslim prisoners in the Taganrog pretrial detention center were being prohibited from practicing their religion.

Muslim prisoners in the Taganrog pretrial detention center have been on a dry hunger strike since late March. According to those arrested, they were unlawfully deprived of personal belongings, hygiene products, walks, and phone calls, a human rights project supporting political prisoners reported today, citing relatives of one of the hunger strikers.

The first hunger strike to be announced on March 27 was by Nalchik native Zaur Dzuev, accused of participating in a terrorist organization. Nine more people later joined the hunger strike, including Dagestan native Magomed Khanilaev, who was transferred to the Taganrog pretrial detention center along with several other Muslims after the hostage-taking at Rostov Pretrial Detention Center No. 1.

Personal belongings, including hygiene products, were confiscated from the prisoners back in January and have still not been returned. The prisoners also told their families that the prison administration had denied them access to the bathhouse and regularly sent them to solitary confinement on trumped-up pretexts.

Also named among the hunger strikers were Aslan Alikperov, Ramazan Albekov, Gegham Rostomyan, and Ramazan Orlov. According to the Rosfinmonitoring register of terrorists and extremists, Albekov was born in Chechnya, Orlov in Stavropol, and Rostomyan is from Armenia.